The Sword and Witchcraft to join Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica and more for 'Ozzfest 2008'

May 16, 2008

Produced by Sharon Osbourne and AEG LIVE, the all-day festival at Pizza Hut Park in Dallas will feature three stages of non-stop talent and “reliably twisted OZZFEST side attractions”. In addition to featuring the legendary Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica, the main stage lineup will include performances by Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Jonathan Davis (Korn), Cavalera Conspiracy and more, while the second stage will showcase WITCHCRAFT alongside a wide array of respected underground acts. The Texas (third) stage -- “an homage to the “many great metal bands that come from Texas,” says Sharon Osbourne -- will spotlight THE SWORD and reactivated Texas thrash / speed metal band Rigor Mortis amongst others. A full listing of the OZZFEST 2008 lineup follows this message.

THE SWORD and WITCHCRAFT are both well known for their unique reinventions of vintage proto-metal and hard rock. The bands joined forces to release a limited edition split 12" EP, titled simply THE SWORD / WITCHCRAFT Split 12" in late 2007, which quickly sold out, becoming a cult collector’s item. WITCHCRAFT released its critically acclaimed third album The Alchemist to rave reviews last autumn, while THE SWORD’s highly-anticipated sophomore release, Gods of the Earth debuted at #102 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, #1 on Billboard’s “Heatseekers” chart, #1 on Billboard’s “New Artist” chart and #5 on Billboard’s “Tastemakers” chart in its first week of release this past April.

Tickets for this year’s OZZFEST will go on sale Saturday, May 31. For up-to-the-minute details, please visit: www.Ozzfest.com.

Both THE SWORD and WITCHCRAFT are available to speak with interested media now. To chat with the bands / attend a live performance, simply contact ACTION! PR via any of the means listed below. Updated THE SWORD and WITCHCRAFT news and tour information will be made available via the ACTION! PR website: www.action-pr.com.

* What the media is saying about THE SWORD:

"deliriously fun…delightfully skuzzy…badass” – ROLLING STONE

“metal mastery. This Austin, Texas band’s riffs are so heavy, they should be weighed periodically on truck scales, so that they don’t violate any interstate cartage laws when THE SWORD goes on tour” – SPIN

“SWORD’s hell-bent-for-leather propulsion and twisty song structures are more than enough to induce your ears to bleed with pleasure” – ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"On their second album, the Austin, Texas, quartet peel Slayer-inspired twin-guitar leads over guttural riffs that pile up like corpses on some primordial battlefield...In the gleefully excessive world of metal revivalists THE SWORD, it’s always a quarter past doom o’clock." – BLENDER

“With a war chest of razor-sharp riffs and even sharper hooks, Austin, Texas’ THE SWORD deliver a sophomore effort that’s a cut above the rest.” – REVOLVER

“Purveyors of Shred…THE SWORD doesn’t simply rock, they battle.” – METRO NEW YORK

* What the media is saying about WITCHCRAFT:

"A young Swedish doom-metal outfit with distinctly ’70s overtones, Witchcraft makes the riff and the drone paramount" - THE NEW YORK TIMES